dark motives

Melissa invites dVerse poets to write ekphrastic poetry inspired by some uncharacteristic art work by O’Keefe.


night descends sharply
on sin city’s (angled) streets
church spire forgotten
as daylight fades and
shadows deepen in
red-light district.

windowless buildings loom
above pandora’s box
of evil’s guilty pleasures,
hidden under cover
of darkness (and doom).

no one to blame
(or shame) if
no one sees…except
for glaring white
street light on corner
and scandalized moon
blinking from blue,
beyond innocence.

Georgia O’Keefe’s “New York Street with Moon”, 1925

into the shadows

 

searching for any witnesses,
he questioned as if suspect:
“where were you?” he probed
“in my room,” a shocked reply
(nowhere near bloodied body)

at least, victim didn’t feel much,
unexpected and instantaneous.
trucker on road never slowed,
could not see in night’s blackness
didn’t notice impact, drove on.

circles under eyes mark grief
remembered as good mother;
affectionate, gave warm gifts.
she’d lived life until the ninth
when bad luck found black cat.

how often we commit dark deeds;
does ignorance prove innocence?

 


Linking to dVerse poets. This “mystery” poem fits previous prompt (shades of black) and current prompt (changing perspective). Written in third person about our barn cat found on the road but also thinking of a former acquaintance who was struck by a truck and killed. It’s always sad when animals die but how much more a human being?!

 

driftwood shadows

 

time drifts out with tide

gnarled remnant of bare tree

left on sunset beach

 

stories etched in dry bones’ grain

memories imprint wet sand

 

driftwood2

photo credit: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai